With Japan's rainy season just around the corner, the skies may turn grey, but the streets and gardens burst into color with one of the season’s most beloved symbols: hydrangeas. These vibrant blooms are known as ajisai in Japanese, and are a quintessential part of early summer, inspiring everything from art to seasonal sweets.
While the rain might dampen some outdoor plans, Tokyo offers plenty of elegant ways to savor the season indoors, including a fantastic lineup of hydrangea-themed afternoon teas. This guide covers three of them to consider for this year!
Millennium Mitsui Garden Hotel Tokyo
Available from May 1st to June 30th, 2025, the Hydrangea Afternoon Tea at the Millennium Mitsui Garden Hotel Tokyo's ZEN HOUSE restaurant blends Japanese and Western sweets inspired by the iconic early summer bloom. Highlights include cassis-flavored amber sugar and blueberry cheesecake, both evoking the look and feel of hydrangeas, alongside matcha-based treats and savory bites like inari sushi.
Guests are welcomed with a refreshing sweet hydrangea leaf tea and can enjoy premium teas throughout. Prices start at 4,000 JPY on weekdays and 4,200 JPY on weekends, with tax and service fees included.
For more information, visit the website here.
Tokyo Prince Hotel
At Tokyo Prince Hotel’s Tea Salon Pikake, guests can enjoy an ethereal hydrangea-themed afternoon tea from May 10th to July 18th, 2025, perfectly timed with the full bloom of the garden’s flowers. Priced at 6,500 JPY per person, this luxurious three-tier set includes intricate sweets like a white chocolate squirrel perched above hydrangea panna cotta, grape-flavored daifuku, and a hojicha terrine designed to mimic raindrops. Savory highlights include beet-infused egg sandwiches, spring rolls, and chilled purple sweet potato soup.
Set by the window overlooking the blossoms, the experience includes free-flowing tea, limited-edition blends, and fantastic views of the beloved rainy-season bloom.
For bookings, visit the official hotel site.
Haute Couture Cafe
A favorite with Instagrammers, the Nakameguro branch of Haute Couture Cafe is hosting a hydrangea-inspired afternoon tea, where the entire space is transformed in hues of ice blue. Running from April 24th until June 30th, the interior and table settings bloom with seasonal hydrangeas, creating a whimsical, storybook atmosphere.
Guests can enjoy a beautifully presented course meal for 6,350 JPY (tax included), with a 2-hour dining window. The highlight is the ajisai parfait, designed to resemble blooming hydrangeas. It layers roasted green tea ganache, citrusy yuzu jelly, orange slices, matcha chocolate, and sparkling elderflower jelly for a refreshing and photogenic treat.
For bookings, please visit the online site here.
